Single hen

[Snowy]

Ok all, NOW you can talk about Christmas / send cards / play Christmas music. Fingers are out of the ears, the Phil Spectre album has gone into the CD player, the mince pies are in the oven.

 

'Tis the season to be jolly! First christmas Party tonight!

 

[Paola]

Wooooooooooooo, hooooooooooooo

 

I got all excited building the kids Playmobil advent calender last night The christmas tree goes up on Sunday

[Guest]

Ok all, NOW you can talk about Christmas / send cards / play Christmas music. Fingers are out of the ears, the Phil Spectre album has gone into the CD player, the mince pies are in the oven.

 

'Tis the season to be jolly! First christmas Party tonight!

 

 

 

It's not Christmas - it's Advent...

 

Phil

[The Dogmother]

You're as bad as Buffie Paola

 

My tree goes up on the 17th if I get time to buy it.

[Tina C]

Yep I am ready now too.

 

Christmas lights switch on tonight (parade, singing, dancing, fireworks and funfair) and we are going to get a tree tomorrow - big family outing. Am going to try and keep it outside for a week but I am sure Layla will want to decorate it straight away.

 

But I am a bad mummy - I forgot to get her an advent calendar....

[AnnieP]

 

 

It's not Christmas - it's Advent...

 

Phil

 

Phil, the children in my class haven't got a clue what Advent is: I asked them this morning.

It does bother me that we adopt these religious occasions and turn them into some sort of secular celebration wihtout remembering the real cause. I am not religious, but we should at least know why we do things!

I'm hunting th eNet now to try to find something to show them!

Any ideas?

[Tina C]

Yes Phil more info please - I am not at all religious but I want Layla to learn about all kinds of beliefs so she can make her own decisions.

 

I went to school and (Sunday school) in a bygone age (in the days when advent calendars weren't just commercial opportunities full of chocolate) but I don't remember learning anything about Advent.

[Guest]

Advent is the period of waiting and preparation 4 weeks before Christmas. I suppose Advent strictly means 'arrival', but it is used as a time to get ready, not just practically but also to prepare ourselves mentally/spiritually for the joy of Christmas.

 

An Advent calendar is a countdown to the Big Day.

 

In church, we hear about the promises made before the arrival of Jesus. God has promised a Messiah and how he will come is described in the books of Isaiah and other prophets. Then we hear about John the Baptist who was born just before Jesus and later on helped to prepare for Jesus' ministry. And we remember the promise of a special baby made to Mary by the angel Gabriel.

 

I'm sure Phil or Morag will give a more informed explanation!

[Louise]

Its not just Children who don't have any idea what the various festivals are

 

Someone at work(older than me) opened their chocolate advent calendar this morning while cheerfully announcing hey its the 12 days of christmas

 

I explained that they actually fell after christmas coinciding with the visit of the three kings on 6th January which is when you traditionally take down your trees and is called Epiphany

 

I just got looks

[Guest]

There are Advent traditions that children can enjoy -

 

Advent Calendars..

 

(you've probably already got one) - but we find it much more fun to make our own. behind the doors (or it could be cloth with "pockets" you could have pictures, mottos or challenges - good deeds and suchlike...

 

 

Advent candles

 

they used to make these on Blue Peter - remember, with the coat hangers?? These have various themes - 4 candles which you light on the Weeks leading up to Christmas day and the fifth on Christmas day itself, usually on the Sunday - and there are different patterns/schemes - the most widely used being:

 

1. Expectation/hope (prophecy)

 

then the other three as you like!!

 

peace, love, joy

Bethlehem, shepherds, angels

John the Baptist, the Magi, Mary

or for the theologically minded! Annunciation, Proclamation, Fulfillment

 

or you could make your own up. Presumably there are rules about candles in class rooms - but there must be a way to do this in school (though you'd probably break up before lighting three and four - so you might need to condense the time down!

 

type Advent Candles or Advent Wreath into Google - and you will find tons of stuff!

 

Jesse Trees

 

this is an ancient tradition - using a bare winter branch and hanging symbols on it. The symbols represent the whole of Biblical history - leading right up to the birth of Jesus - so there is loads of scope in this.

 

there are plenty of templates for Jesse tree symbols - this would be easy to do in school - and would offer an opportunity to cover loads of biblical stories - Noah, Adam & Eve, Joseph.....

 

there's a really good FREE Jesse Tree lesson-plan kit to download here.. (possible only free if you do it today!! you have to set up an account and go through the basket as if you were buying something - but it is FREE!!!)

 

http://www.daisiecompany.com/cart/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=605

 

and one you can do at home..

 

THE "GOOD DEEDS" MANGER

 

An empty manger is placed in some prominent spot in the home . Next to the manger is a little bundle of "straw", which can be real straw, pine needles, or something similar. Each evening during this season, the family gets together to talk about the good things they've done for others during the day (for example, helping someone with his/her homework, writing a friendly note to someone who's feeling down, etc.). For every good deed done, the person who did the good deed gets to place one "straw" in the manger. On Christmas Eve, you place the Baby Jesus in the manger, on the soft bed you've made for him with your good deeds.

 

 

there's some to be going on with!!

 

Phil

[Snowy]

Ok all, NOW you can talk about Christmas / send cards / play Christmas music. Fingers are out of the ears, the Phil Spectre album has gone into the CD player, the mince pies are in the oven.

 

'Tis the season to be jolly! First christmas Party tonight!

 

 

 

It's not Christmas - it's Advent...

 

Phil

 

Sorry Phil - I know it's advent really. I do make sure that mine know the real meaning of christmas and we celebrate appropriately (they are making christingles at church this week for a start) It's just that I hate being forced to start early because of commercialism. But I do love celebrating Christmas and all things christmassy (I'd play Phil Spectre all year round if I could get away with it! )

[Guest]

Someone at work(older than me) opened their chocolate advent calendar this morning while cheerfully announcing hey its the 12 days of christmas

 

How can they say that when there are 24 windows???? So Christmas Day will be on December 12th this year????

[ubereglu]

Wooooooooooooo, hooooooooooooo

 

I got all excited building the kids Playmobil advent calender last night The christmas tree goes up on Sunday

 

Cool, you have a playmobil advent calender. I want it!!!!

[ubereglu]

I'll be busy making a christmas reef for the front door in a few weeks then! It's great fun-though the wire's nasty to work with on the fingers mind. I want to try and sell a few to friend's if I have time as I have a real gift for making them and floristry. It runs in the family as my Gran did too.

[Guest]

Thanks Paola

 

I had forgotten we have a Playmobil advent calendar in the loft, I'll have to get Harry and Jules to set it up tonight

 

We also are going to fetch and put up our tree on Sunday

 

I think this is our last completely free weekend and week until Christmas

 

I love having the tree lighs on at night and just sitting there with a lovely glass of wine or two, very festive

[The Dogmother]

You've reminded me of the year (probably when I was about your age), when I made a beautiful wreath for my folks front door, then all their friends commissioned me to make ones for them - I spent all Christmas with prickled and bleeding hands

 

For the last few years pranksters have nicked our wreaths, despite them being wired on, so this year I am just going to gather some holly and fir branches, tie them into a bunch with some raffia and hang that on the door. The temptation to wire it up to the mains is almost too much

 

I love yuletide

[chocchick]

Ok all, NOW you can talk about Christmas / send cards / play Christmas music. Fingers are out of the ears, the Phil Spectre album has gone into the CD player, the mince pies are in the oven.

 

'Tis the season to be jolly! First christmas Party tonight!

 

 

 

I think we have to survive OH's 30th Birthday before I even broach the subject. I said "do you know what's in December" and he went I said "Christmas" and there was a sigh of relief.

I like my pretty fibre optic tree

Edited December 1, 2006 by Guest

[The Dogmother]

Sorry, what's Playmobil?

 

Debs, I can't believe that there's any room in your loft with all of Dan's collections and bikes

[chocchick]

You've reminded me of the year (probably when I was about your age), when I made a beautiful wreath for my folks front door, then all their friends commissioned me to make ones for them - I spent all Christmas with prickled and bleeding hands

 

For the last few years pranksters have nicked our wreaths, despite them being wired on, so this year I am just going to gather some holly and fir branches, tie them into a bunch with some raffia and hang that on the door. The temptation to wire it up to the mains is almost too much

 

I love yuletide

We have a tasteful fake one that I hang in the lounge where I see it, rather than the door where I don't

[ubereglu]

You don't know what Plymobil is?????

 

It's like a larger version of lego-except you can't build houses and you have furniture and stuff. It's yet more plastic. Great fun though and I still have a box of it in my wardrobe!!!

[Guest]

You can get all sorts of Playmobil sets

 

Jules has the supermarket and the zoo sets and she will play with them for hours

[The Dogmother]

Sorry, they didn't have that when I was young, and Rosie's never had it either

[Guest]

we have a playmobil nativity set (I collect nativity sets!) - I have all kinds, but the playmobil is one of my favourites!

 

the kings/camels group is a separate set - I have that too!

 

Phil

 

[Guest]

There is still a bit of room in the loft Clare

 

And I think Father Christmas has been storing a few things up there as well

[Guest]

You might just be the man I'm looking for Phil!

 

Where can I get a small and tasteful nativity set?

 

For years my Christmas cake has been decorated with a nativity scene. The figures are about 5cm high. Last year, I just had to hope that no-one would notice Mary was missing!!! as I didn't realise until too late. A whole year has passed and she hasn't turned up, so I need a new set.

 

If you have any (serious!) ideas, please let me know.